location

The village of Nikolaevka, municipality Suvorovo is located at 30 km to the northwest from the city of Varna. The village stands at 350 m above sea level on both banks of Nikolaevska river. The village was founded in 1823 and its first name was Hadarcha. Here in this village Atanas Georgiev, a wealthy land-owner and patriot funded the opening of the first Bulgarian school in the district of Varna in 1847. Later in 1877 the village was renamed in honour of Knyaz Nikolay Nikolaevich, commander in chief of the Russian troops and younger brother of Tsar Alexander II.

nature

Today Nikolaevka is most popular among anglers owing to picturesque dams nearby and unspoilt nature. Nikolaevka is also popular among the followers of Petar Danov, the Teacher.
The dams are part of the cascade dam system of the villages Levski, Nikolaevka and Voditsa. Nikolaevka dam occupies an area of 346 decars and is one of the largest dams in the vicinity. The dam is stocked with carp, silver carp, sheat fish, grass carp, rudd and crucian carp. Crayfish is one of the attractions of Nikolaevka and its dam.
The good management of water facilities in recent years, beautiful nature and proximity to the city of Varna turned Nikolaevka into a preferred place for recreation for ardent anglers. The road to the dam was asphalted anew and the tourist hut in Nikolaevka was renovated with funds extended as assistance under the PHARE program. The dam turned into a traditional place for casting contests and coach-training base. The record carp catch in Nikolaevka dam was in the summer of 2006 and weighed 16 kg, and the heaviest grass carp ever caught in the dam weighed 10.2 kg.
Dam water and banks are regularly cleaned and the traditional gathering spots host recreation shelters and clearings for tent building without use of any synthetic materials.
The village is visited by numerous followers of Peter Danov who follow the routes of their Teacher. On a slight elevation above the place where once his home stood the home museum of Peter Danov is currently in construction with volunteer labour and donations. Konstantin Danovski, the father of Petar Danov was the first village teacher and priest. The school where he used to teach is still preserved in the village. This was the first monastic school in Varna area, founded at the same time with the church Sv. Atanasiy, and sermons are still held in it. The village patron feast is on the Second of May and the village gathering is on the 26th of October, the day of St. Dimitar.

Tourism

• Orthodox church Sv. Atanasiy, the oldest Bulgarian church in the district of Varna
• Monastic school at the church
• Memorial fountain of the local Bulgarian soldiers perished in the Balkan-, Between-Allies- and First World War
• Home museum of Petar Danov built under project sponsored by the EU PHARE program and ethnographic collection of household life artefacts arranged in the museum yard.
• Two dams, well stocked and maintained with good conditions for fishing and camping

Text: internet
Picture: Mirela